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Chapter-1 Preliminary

  1. Short Title and commencement: (1) This Act may be cited as the “Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, 2075 (2018).”

(2) This Act shall come into force immediately.

  1. Definitions: Unless the subject or the context otherwise requires, in this Act,-

(a)        “Basic food” means the food designated by the Government of Nepal by a notification in the Nepal Gazette from time to time.

(b)        “Farmer” means a citizen who makes agriculture the main occupation or business and earns his or her livelihood from agriculture, and this term also includes the family member dependent on such a citizen, or the citizen who labors in agricultural work for six months or more, or a citizen who makes traditional agricultural tools or the family member dependent on such a citizen.

(c)        “Agricultural land” means any land that is used for agriculture, that grows agro products, or that is determined for the utility in agricultural work under the prevailing law.

(d)       “Food” means a substance that is processed, semi- processed or unprocessed consumable by the human being, obtained from biological source which is culturally acceptable, and this term also includes a raw material used in the preparation, processing or production of such a substance.

(e)        “Food sovereignty” means the following rights which are used or exercised by the farmers in the food production and distribution system:

(1)        To participate in the process of formulation of policy relating to food,

(2)        To make choice of any occupation relating to food production or distribution system,

(3)        To make choice of agricultural land, labor, seeds, technology, tools,

(4)        To remain free from adverse impact of globalization or commercialization of agricultural business.

(f)        “Food security” means physical and financial access of every person to the food required for the active and healthy human life.

(g)        “Prescribed” or “as prescribed” means prescribed or as prescribed in the rules framed under this Act.

(h)        “Council” means the National Food Council referred to in Section 32.

(i)         “Ministry” means the Ministry of the Government of Nepal that looks after the matters relating to agriculture.

(j)         “Targetted household” means the households identified pursuant to Section 5.

(k)        “Local Level” means the Rural Municipality or Municipality.